Car wheel



J n- 1945- A. J. HERSEY ET AL 2,366,259

CAR WHEEL Filed Jan. 5; 1942 jsvuwvm Arthur J. Hers r and J/ilk Charles L. Madden the wheel center. i further object of the invention resi desiin constructing the rim of the wheel with an ex- Patented Jan. 2

H WHEEL l fiers ey and Charles L. Y U Minneapolis,Minn.y Application January 5, 1942 Serial .425,e52 i [15 cl ims. crass-30 j 1 invention relates to improvements in car Wheels and has for an object thereof to provide" a sirnpleydurabl e and relatively inexpensive construction utilizingfia wheel oenter having a'lrim and a tire demountably supported onthe rim.

1 Another object of the invention resides in pro viding aconstruction, whereby thetire, upon expansionunderheat, may move axially of the rim and bethereby deprived of looseness relative to ternalbeveled bearing surface and the tire with a corresponding internal beveled bearing suriface engaging the beveled surface of the rim, and in providing resilient means for-urging the tire to move along said bearing surface ofthe rim upon! theexpansion of the tire; i i t A still further objectof the invention resides in providing bolts extendingthrough the riin and tire and in providing resilient means encii clingsaid bolts for causing movement of the tire relative to the rim upon expansionof the tire.

An additional objectof the invention is to provide a/car wheel of the present-nature constructed to providefor the aircoolingofthe tire and wheel cn'ter whereby is preventedthe loosening o-fthe wheel center on its axle by expansion and, where byyth'e 'xpahsion Of thtir relative to the rim of said whelf center is e'fiecti'vely minimized.

A feature of theiinvention resides in providing Madden.

in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawing:

Figr-l is an end elevation alg View of a car wheel with a portionof the tirebroken away and illustrating an-embodimentof my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view'of thestructure showninFigJl H i l i f Figs? is a diametral sectionalviewtakenon line 3--3of Fig. 1 andldrawnto agreater scale.

Fig. 4 is a 'view similarto Fig.1 3. taken on line "In th'eoperation of trains,: considerable inc:

tional h'eat is developed in the tire of a wheel against: which braking force is applied, which sometimes causes the tire, to beoome dangerously loose on the rim and sometimes causes the wheel center to becometdangerously loose on the axle upon which it is shrunk. The present invention which is demountablysupported.aitire no. Said wheelcenter. ll isxcastfroin suitable metal and provides a car: wheeliin which compensation is 'hadifor movement of the tire: with respect to the. wheel center, caused by expansion, andin which expansion of the. tire relative to the rim andiexpansion of the wheel center relative to the wheel axleiar'e minimised; .11 Our inventioncompriseswa wheel: center II on consists of ahub l2 and a web .13 extending outanumbrbf passageways extending through the for oonducting'iair through the wheel, and in arranging the passageways to s'piral alternately inopposite directions. l

constructing 'saidpassageways by forming grooves acrossthefirim which a'reelosedj there'along by the beveledbearingsurfaceofthe tire, whereby both the tire and ri m are in heat conduoting relation withrespect to the air passingithrough the paswardly therefromt The wheel axle (not shown) is received in the bore: I 4' of hub I2 and said i wheel centenis: on said axle in the usual manner. Periinetricallyvof the web I3 isa rim. l5 l which isformed withah'outer beveled bearing it Another object of the invention resides in the arrangement of said grooves so as tO fOIITlIUgS tlrirebetween and in running the bolts for attaching the tire to the rim through said lugs.

A stillfl'irthr object oflthe invention resides infor'mingthe wheel center to provide recesses: orbays issuing; radiallydnward from saidpa sa waysfor causing the airpassing throughjthe passageways to whirl and thus be brought into" tastes of the passageways:

intimate contact with the heat-exchange su jotherp jetts ortneinventitn reside n tnje 1 iiovelfcombination andarrangement of parts and it the tirebnthe Wheeltcenter I |.u The tire is has- 451 surface: [6, said bearing surface being ofthe least diameterat theiout'er jend surface ill 'ofithe rim anew: greatest diametervat the inner end sur- The tire: lfl isiconstructed ofsteel or other suitable material and is formed withaninner beveled surface 19 of the same angularity a the surface bearing surface Hi of the rim l5 and supports a tread 2| which rideslatrailway rail-and has the usualrailengag'ing flange 22 attheinnerend su rtace i l of the tire. The outer end surface I I is disposed=substahtially in the:

st; n or the rim l5.

The Iri constructed with alternately disposed groo e-m5 andiE therein, which extend transversely of. the rim and which open laterally ina direction radially outwardfrom said rim. These grooves, bpenfat" their ends, are bridged by the tire. and cf'o'rm passageways 21 which:

extend through the wheel and have heat-exchange surfaces in both the tire and rim. The grooves 25 spiral in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, while the grooves 26 spiral in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. By means of this construction, two sets of lugs 28 and 29 are formed between the grooves, which lugs are trapezoidal in form. The wider endsurfaces of the lugs 28 lie inthe plane of. the surface [8 of rim l5, while the wider end surfaces of the lugs 29 lie in the plane of the surface I! of the rim. The passageways 21 are deepened to form depressions 3| intermediate their ends, which cause a swirling of the air passing therethrough. This has the effect of causing the air passing through the passageways 21- to make thorough and intimate contact with the heat-exchange surfaces of the wheel. I I

The tire I is attached to the wheel center II by means of a number of bolts 32. These bolts extend through the lugs '28 andthrough-the innermost portion 33 of the .tire l0. To accommoe date these bolts, holes 34 are formedin the lugs 28 which extend through the beveled surface l6 thereof, and which register with corresponding hole 35 in the portion-3310f the tire ,ID. The holes 35 are slightly larger in diameter than the bolts 32, so that radial movementof the tire l2 may be had relative to the rim, without subjecting the bolts to shearing stresses. The holes 34 are countersunk, as indicatedat 36, toreceive the heads 31 of the bolts 32, while .counterbores 3B are formed in the tire [0 at the ends. of the hole 35 to receive the nuts 39 of the bolts 32. Encircling each bolt 32 is a spring washer 4| which is received underthe nut 39 and engages the tire Hi at the bottom. of the counterbore 38. By means of the spring washers 4l, the tire I0, even though increased in diameter by expansion,

. is maintained with its'beveled bearing surface I9 in engagement with the beveledbearing surface l6oftheriml5.

In Fig. 1, we have represented anordinary brake shoe 42, which is adapted to engage the tread 2| of the tire III. This brake shoe;is.pro,-.

the bearing surface l9 of the tire I!) to set snugly upon the bearing surface is of the rim I5. The

tire It), thus closing the grooves, 25, 26 laterally thereof, completes passageways 21. As the wheel revolves with the brake shoe 42 applied thereto, the tire ill will be frictionally heated by said shoe and the wheel center will be heated by conduction from the tire. Before this heat. can be dissipated sufiiciently, the tire may expand and tend to become loose upon the rim 15. However, the

spring washers 4| engage the tire! and urge ity in an axial direction along the beveled bearing surface l6, said surface and the beveled surface IQ of the tire l0 coacting to preclude any looseness between tire and rim. The tire In in such case, would move toward the right, as viewed-in Fig. 3. As the wheel rotates, air is caused by centrifugal force to circulate through theepassageway 21 from left to right as seen'in Fig. 4, the; 7,3

depressions 3| in the passageways 21, producing a swirling movement of the air in said passage-' ways which causes the entire volume of air to make intimate contact with the heat transfer surfaces of the wheel. Thus, effective cooling of the tire l0 and wheel center ll is produced.

Since the grooves 25 and 26 are disposed in spiral- "construction, demountable tires, non-loosening by expansion under frictional heat, may be used, and when a tire becomes worn, it may. be replaced without discarding the wheel center. Due to the coasting beveled surfaces I6, 19 0f the rim l5 and tire ID, the expansion of the tire iscompensated for and said .tire maintained firmly seated upon the rim. With the passagewaysZl arranged in the manner shown, air is induced tofiow through the same by centrifugal force and in certainof the passageways such flow is augmented by injector action. The air in passing-through the passageways 21 is caused to swirl and thus inits; entirety intimately contact the heat transfersur faces of said passageways. being formed partly by th tire l0 and partly-by; the rim J5, cause cooling of both the tireand rim and prevent any appreciable transfer of heatv from the tire to the hub of-the wheel center on thewheel axle. The dimensions of the bolt holes 35 in the tire I0 allow sufficient radial move-1- ment of the tire freely to compensate for the ex,

pansion of the same. Byiarranging thegrooves opposite directions, the lugs between the grooves have widened portions for the accommodation of the bolts for attaching the tire to therim. What we claim is: t 1, In a car wheel, a rim having an external,- beveled bearing surface, a tire encircling said rim and having a corresponding internalbeveled surface engaging the beveled surface ofthe; rim,

said rim having passageways extending there through, the walls of said passageways radially remote from the axisof the wheel extending in the direction of the beveled surfaces of said rim and tire, said passageways conducting air through the wheel from one side of the wheeltotheqthen to cool the ,wheel. i

2. In a car wheel, a rim, havingjan jexternal beveled bearing surface, a tire encircling said-rim,

and having a corresponding internal beveled surfaceresting upon the beveled surface of the rim," said rim having passageways extending there-y,

through in the direction of the beveled surfaces of said rim and tire, said passageways conducting air through the wheel from one side of the wheel to the other to cool the wheel,;said pas;-

sageways alternately spiraling in opposite direc tions. 5

3. In a car wheel, a rim havin iga tr" transverse grooves extending through the pe riphery thereof and forming lugs therebetween,

said lugs having external beveled faces contained in the surface of a cone, atire encircli g said: rim and having an internal beveled 'surf'ace'e gaging the beveled faces of th lugs, 'ari'difbolts extending through ,certain] of saidlugs; I'an'd through said tire for attaching .trietnetdthe These passage ay accepts rim, said grooves ini conjunction with the beveled surfaceof the tire forming airpa'ssageways through the wheel for bringing the air passing therethrough into direct heat exchange relation with respect to both t-hetire andrim. l

4. In a car wheel, a rim havinga number of transverse grooves extending through the periphery thereof and forming lugs therebetween, said lugs having external beveled faces contained in the surface of a cone, a tire encircling said rim and having an internal beveled surface engaging the beveled faces of the lugs, and bolts extending through certain of said lugs and through said tire for attaching the tire to the rim, said grooves-incon'junction with the beveled surface of the tire forming air passageways through the wheel for bringing the air passing therethrough into direct heat exchange relation with respect to both the tire and rim, certain of said grooves having recesses therein extending radially inwardly from the beveled surface of the tire and disposed intermediate the lateral surfaces of the rim.

5. In a car wheel, a rim having a number of transverse grooves of substantially uniform width extending through the periphery thereof and forming lugs therebetween, said lugs having external beveled faces contained in the surface of a cone, a tire encircling said rim and having an internal beveled surface engaging the beveled faces of the lugs, and bolts extending through certain of said lugs and through said tire for attaching the tire to the rim, said grooves in conjunction with the beveled surfaceof the tire forming air passageways through thewheel for bringing the air passing therethrough into direct heat exchange relation with respect to both the tire and rim, certain of said grooves intermediate the ends thereof being deepened to cause the air passing therethrough to swirl and to be brought into intimate contact with the heat exchange surfaces ofthe passageways.

6. In a car wheel having a number of transverse air passageways therethrough, the walls of said passageways radially remote from the axis of the wheel; being axially biased relative to said axis and alternately spiraling in opposite directions.

7. In a car wheelhaving a number of transverse air passagewaysextending therethrough, the wallsof said passageways radially remote from the axis of the wheel being axially biased relative to said axis and spirally disposed across the wheel. l

8. In a car wheel having a number of transsistingof grooves formed in said rim by the beveled surface of said'tire.

11. In acar wheel, a rim having a number of transverse grooves extending through the periphery thereof and forming lugs therebetween, said lugs having external beveled faces contained in the surface of a cone, a tire encircling said rim and having an internal beveled surfaceenga'ging the beveled faces of the lugs, every other groove spiraling in one direction and the intervening grooves spiraling in theopposite direction to make alternate lugs wider at that portion of the rim ofgreatest diameter, and bolts extending through said widened portions of said lugs and through axially biased relative thereto to induce by centrifugal force the flow of air through said pas sageways.

13. In a car wheel including a rim and atire as-members thereof, the rim having an external beveled surface, the tire encircling said rim and having a corresponding internal beveled surface engaging the beveled surface of the rim, said rim and tire being each formed with a set of v holes extending therethrough transversely thereof, each hole of the one set registering with a hole of the other set, clamping bolts fitted to the rim and tire and extending through said holes, there being one bolt to each pair of registering holes, said bolts securing said tire to said verse air passageways extending therethrough,

some of said passageways having the walls thereof radially remote from the axis of the wheel axially biased relative to said axis and some of said passageways being spirally disposed across the wheel.

9. In a car wheel, a rim, said rim having a number of transverse air passageways extending removably applied to the rim, said Wheel having passageways therein extending from side to side thereof for conducting air therethrough to cool both wheel center and tire, said passageways contherethrough, the surfaces of said passageways rim, eachof the, holes in one of said members being of a greater transverse dimension radially of the wheel than the corresponding dimension of the bolt therein to admit of the circumferential expansion of the tire relative to the rim, and

resilient means acting upon said members and through said bolts upon the expansion of the tire to exert a force tending to shift the tire axially of the rim and maintain contact between said beveled surfaces of said tire and rim, said tire being so shiftable in response to such force and being relatively reversely self-shiftable against such force upon its circumferential contraction relative to said rim.

14. In a car wheel, a rim having an external beveled surface, a tire encircling said rim and having a corresponding beveled surface engaging the beveled surface of the tire being each formed with a set of holes extending therethrough transversely thereof, each hole of the one set registering with a hole of the other set, clamping bolts fitted to said rim and tire and extending through said holes, there being one bolt to each pair of registering holes, said bolts securing said tire to said rim, each of the holes in said tire being of a greater diameter than the diameter of the bolt therein to admit of the circumferential expansion of the tire relative to the rim, expansion Washers encircling said bolts, said washers being backed against said tire and acting through said bolts upon the rim to exert a force tending to shift the tire axially of the rim upon the expansion of said tire and thereby maintain contact between said beveled surfaces of said tire and rim, said tire being so shiftable in response to such force and being relatively reversely self-shiftand bridged rim, said rim and able against such force upon its circumferentiaI contraction relative to said rim.

' 15. In a car wheel, a rim having an external beveled surface, a tire encircling said rim and having a corresponding beveled surface engaging the beveled surface of the rim, said rim and tire being each formed with a set of holes extending therethrough transversely thereof, each hole of the one set registering with a hole of the other set, clamping bolts fitted to said trim and tire and extending through said holes, there being one bolt to each pair of registering holes, said bolts securing said tire to said rim, each of the holes in said tire being of a greater transverse dimension radially of the tire than the 15) corresponding dimension of the bolt-therein to admit-of the circumferential expansion of the tire relative to the rim, resilient means carried by the bolts and acting therethrough upon tire and rim to exert a force tending to shift the tire axially of the rim upon the circumferential expansion of said tire and thereby maintain contact between said beveled surfaces of said tire and rim, said tire being so shiftable in response to such -force and being relatively reversely self-shiftable against such'iorce upon its circumferential contraction relative to said rim.

ARTHUR J. HERSEY. CHARLES L. MADDEN. 

